Sunday, March 19, 2017

Meet a Local Cartoonist: A Chat with Anthony Dortch

by Mike Rhode

I was recently at a local business asking about a comics-related item they were selling, and one of the staff told me that his colleague did comic books. After some followup, we interview Arlington's Anthony Dortch who currently has a Kickstarter campaign to turn his comics into film (warning: contains body-painted nudity).

What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?

I am currently
working on PURE. It's an epic tale of ingrained racism and the evils of
inequality. It's a project where models get body painted to become the
characters of a graphic novel and hopefully a feature-length movie.

How do you do it? Traditional pen and ink, computer or a combination?

PURE is a fumetti-style graphic novel.

Photo comics are a form of sequential storytelling that uses photographs
rather than illustrations for the images, along with the usual comics
conventions of narrative text and word balloons containing dialogue.
They are sometimes referred to as fumetti, photonovels, fotonovelas, or
similar terms.

Although far less common than illustrated comics,
photo comics have filled certain niches in various places and times. For
example, they have been used to adapt popular film and television works
into print, tell original melodramas, and provide medical education.
Photo comics have been popular at times in Italy and Latin America, and
to a lesser extent in English-speaking countries.

When (within a decade is fine) and where were you born?

I always say I born in the blizzard of 1978. I was born Fri., 1/13/78 in Akron, OH. I was raised in Hamilton, OH.

Why are you in Washington now? What neighborhood or area do you live in?

I wanted something different, but wasn't ready for New York. I currently live in the Ashton Heights neighborhood in Arlington, VA.

What is your training and/or education in cartooning?

I went to SCAD for graphic design.

Who are your influences?

I
am often fascinated by Van Gogh. Today, Van Gogh is regarded as an
artistic genius and his masterpieces sell for record-breaking prices;
however, during his lifetime, he was a poster boy for tortured starving
artists and sold only one painting. I find this intriguing.
In
time, Van Gogh’s work evolved from dark/somber artistic style to
lightened up and more color one. I like use of color and energetic
strokes.

If you could, what in your career would you do-over or change?

The
time I gave up on myself. This was the time that I started believing
that I wasn't talented and my art was no good as people from the outside
kept telling me I should try to find a career.

What work are you best-known for?

My use of color to help tell my story.

What work are you most proud of?

I
am most proud that I have stuck with this project. In 2009, I began
working on a project called The Privileged Series. I traveled to Tybee
Island, GA to work with fashion designer Anthony Canney, Tim Cabel and
Julie Simser to do the first shoot. The goal was to represent
differences between the rich and the poor through a surrealistic art
form.

In 2010, The Privileged Series was displayed at
Touchstone Gallery in Washington, D.C. and soon after traveled to
galleries around the United States.

In 2012, The Privileged
Series was displayed at Distinction Gallery near San Diego, CA. I
partnered with Keifla Antonio and his team to take things to the next
level. The team painted the models, bringing my outrageously colored
characters to life.

This was also the first time the characters emerged from paper into live action in the first mini-video.

In
2013, I created the first pilot comic book called PURE. The project
uses real people with a wide variety of body types to become the
characters in the story.
In 2014, when I met Michael Coslow
The Privileged Series: PURE exploded into a series of making short
videos. The small team traveled to Europe and across the United States
painting people for the videos.

By 2015, I released the
first official graphic novel. I also collaborated with Yogabear Studio
twice; once in Washington, D.C. and again in San Diego, CA. The
collaborative efforts produced our first joint book. PURE: Yogabear
Studio: 2015. This book captures 19 models as they portray a variety of
PURE characters.

After a stroke in 2016, I'm back to settle a goal. The goal is to create my first movie. The Kickstarter is my first opportunity.What would you like to do or work on in the future?

I would love to work in the television industry.

What do you do when you're in a rut or have writer's block?

I
tend to visit the Smithsonian Portrait Gallery/American Art Museum
and/or The National Gallery's East/West Wings. The two sites have both
classic and contemporary in one space.

What do you think will be the future of your field?

I
think it's evolving with technology. We now have moving comics, more
comic books turning into movies, and more independent artist creating and
producing their own companies. It is very exciting.

What
local cons do you attend? The Small Press Expo, Intervention, or others?

I've attended SPX, Awesome Con, and Baltimore Comic Con.

Any
comments about attending them?

Take your time. Their are many very
talented indie artists that can be overshadowed by popular artists.

What's your favorite thing about DC?

The free museums. There is so much to see how can you not be inspired.

Least favorite?

The traffic (cars and metro). Grrrr!

What monument or museum do like to take visitors to?

I
tend to visit the Smithsonian Portrait Gallery/American art Museum
and/or The National Museum East/West Wings. The two museums have both
classic and contemporary in one space.How about a favorite local restaurant?

I like Cuba Libra for intriguing cuisines and decor. The inside of the resteraunt make you feel like you on a Cuban street.

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